Even with all the incriminating evidence, The Right Wing still idolizes him. And he still televangelizes from the ministries of Fox News, The Heritage Foundation, the American Enterprise Institute, etc. Why isn't he in jail, already?
Why doesn't this type of information ever make either the newspapers or TV? I subscribe to several newspapers as well as weekly news magazines, but have not heard about this obvisouly important news.
This is all propaganda, the Humane Society is a joke and so is the Rick Berman "attack"...I say this as an animal lover who has owned cats, dogs, birds and fish. Hunting has to be done with species. Here in NY the deer population is so high that they're everywhere. This past year, 12 deer were found frozen standing up huddled together. Tell me that's a better fate?
The Human Society in Texas sells your pets to the University of Texas for animal testing. After it was widely reported they claimed the stopped doing it! How can we be sure?
I've given to the Humane Society only to find out they've done such despicable and evil acts. The claim that animal testing is "necessary" is another lie. The torture and intentional hideous abuse labeled as "research" is anything but "humane".
Over 1200 "FDA" approved drugs that used millions of animals for testing have been taken off the shelves or recalled. Only to find out years later that they lied and hid test results.
So why does the Humane Society think animal testing is okay yet hunting is not?
Re: gulag comment, I was trying to use some humor as part of my point. It appears the humor was missed (or not present), I will refrain from further flippant remarks. I voted for Obama so you can withdraw your flippant remark as well if you choose.
Gouging is pretty strong word considering the facts - WellPoint CEO pointed out they had a 2009 4.5% profit margin in testimony today. Not sure how this is gouging. In aggregate they made a lot of money, but on a per-customer basis not really compared to other industries.
My point is that we live in a capitalist society and I personally believe that profit motivates people (Within reasonable boundaries). There are non-profit insurers who compete as well who charge higher rates so I don't think you can blame everything on insurers profit.
I'm not sure you addressed my basic question by the way - should doctors, hospitals, grocers, home builders not profit because they also provide basic needed services? I'm guessing that we can just agree to disagree on the question of profit.
I don't support a public option (but do support a mandate, elimination of pre-existing clauses, etc...).
My primary concern is who will say no if there are no insurers? (The insurers don't really do that great a job at this either). People can't have a blank check and I've lost all confidence that the government (our leaders) will make the hard choices. Look at the deficit, debt, all of the unfunded liabilities, the blank check for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, etc... Look at the state level. If I could blame one party on the financial mess, I might feel differently, but I rightly can't.
Look at the Medicare Rx benefit for Seniors as an example. Bush introduced it and Dems. supported it even though it drove us deeper into debt. Seniors complained about it even though we're only talking about $1500 deductible after some 1st dollar coverage. Obama supports eliminating the donut which dispenses of any filter to getting drugs. Overall costs will go way up (to be paid later). Why are we closing the donut hole for everyone. Why is it not means tested? Why is it not funded. Because no one wants to say no. We can't negotiate with the Rx companies on prices for this program either - don't want to piss off the Rx companies. is Rx program's cost trajectory lower than core inflation - no. No one is complaining about this cost going up, because no one sees it.... is this fair to our children and the children of our children - see Greece for what's coming if we don't start addressing this. No one wants to say no.
Someone eventually has to pay. I have no problem with the concept that those with more pay more. But there is a limit and there has to be some alignment of incentives so care is accessed efficiently - not all drugs and tests are needed and most people certainly don't do what they need to do on a personal level.
Regarding your reference to a crime, no one is standing between needed medical care and a consumer, at least no more than the government is standing between a senior and the doctor. The real question is who will pay, thats what this is about and why we have insurance.... I could call my doctor tomorrow and pay him out of pocket, no one involved.
People buy insurance or should in the event something bad happens. The insurance company negotiates a rate with the provider better than I can negotiate and covers me if I have an event that I won't be able to afford a catastrophic event. Its my choice to involve an insurer. No one forces me to (at least not until the mandate it put in place).
I know its not this simple and that most insurance companies are not benevolent. But you also have to look at the facts. The commercial market subsidizes Medicare and Medicaid. Any physician or hospital will admit this. And despite this subsidization, doctors are dropping out of Medicare and certainly Medicaid. And even with subsidization the trajectory for Medicare is insolvency if changes are not made to benefits or revenues. Creating a public option creates a similar blank check.
I was dismayed with the testimony of the 3 individuals from California this morning. Aside from the fact that the pre-existing clause is a major problem, no one seemed to understand the dynamics or at least did not want to admit it. On the one side the witnesses complained about the high costs and low benefits of their coverage based on the fact they don't use enough care to even meet their deductibles, but on the other side they complained that benefits are limited - Rx, etc.... without seeing a correlation between the 2. Someone is using care and someone is paying for it.
Even if you go rid of the profit and minimized the cost of admin, the picture would not be all that different. Just do the math. This is how it works - should MLRs be higher, maybe. But this is not the key driver, we are.... We want something for nothing and no one in government is honest enough to say it. Unfortunately, I think our education system has failed us as well since many people can't seem to do math (starting with Congress) either.
Representative Mitchell of Virginia is right that first term abortions produce retarded children.
He is also right that Jack's magic beans grew a beanstalk to the clouds where the giant's castle was.
Pages